Bishop
James L. Dukes, III, the son of Roberta Patrica Pugh-Chavis
and James Dukes,Jr. born with a mind to lead and serve
God’s people. Destined to be the “Servant’s
servant” because of all the training that was
received during his life since early childhood. His
training started at home being brought up in the fear
and admonition of the Lord by his mother and continued
throughout school and church. I'm a native of Baltimore, Maryland.

James’s first experience with church started at
First Charity Baptist under the leadership of the late
Rev. Turner and then on
to New Refuge Deliverance Church under the Pastorate
of Bishop Naomi C. Durant. It was here that he began
to exercise the gifts that were planted in him by God.
Serving his Pastor and being the church help was like
second nature to him. Although James was happy in what
he was doing, there came a time when God began to deal
with him and caused him to seek after more of God. It
was at this time he was led to join St. Paul Apostolic
Church under the late Pastor Winnie Gilliam and the
Lord overshadowed him and filled him with the Holy Ghost.
He continued to be a servant’s servant to his
Pastor, growing in leaps and bounds that would eventually
lead him to acknowledge and accept the ministry call
on his life and preach his first message entitled “Lord
help me to kill myself.”

It was with the blessing and sanctioning of his Pastor
that he would leave James A. Morton & Sons Funeral
home after many years of service and start walking in
his evangelistical calling that would lead him to Gethsemane
Apostolic Church of God in Detroit, Michigan where the
late Suffragan Bishop Joseph A. Morris Sr. was the Pastor.
His style remained true to form, serving his Pastor
with dedication and commitment unlike any other. It
was hard for James not to take on the characteristics
and traits of his Pastor because of the numerous hours
spent in his presence. The relationship easily went
from Pastor/Servant to Father/Son. James is very grateful
for all the wisdom and golden nuggets that were passed
from one generation to the next. It was also in Detroit
that he met and married Simone Renae Crockett. They
share two beautiful children, Shantese and Ryan and
two grandchildren, Destiny and Joshua. He is affectionately
known to them as “G-Da”.

As time went by, it was hard not to recognize the
Pastoral mantle that rested on his life. So, James
decided to follow the steps that were ordered for
him from above and founded the Rehoboth Apostolic
Church of Deliverance, which was later renamed to,
Rehoboth Covenant Ministries, Inc. In May 2008, with
the leading of GOD, the name of the ministry was changed
to Refreshing Word Ministry, Inc. In early part of
2002, he became one of the establishing members of
the Prayer Tabernacle Covenant Ministries Fellowship
under the leadership of Her Grace, The Most Honorable,
Bishop Joan B. Sanders, to serve as the Executive
Assistant and Vice Presiding Prelate. In July of 2003
Pastor Dukes was designated to the office of the Bishop
to serve as the Midwest Regional Bishop of PTCM. On
November 13, 2004 he was consecrated to the office
of Bishop under the tutledg of Bishop Carl H. Montgomery,
II & Bishop Joan B. Sanders. Bishop Dukes operates
under a heavy prophetic & deliverance anointing.